60-Minute Security Audit™

A Leader's Protocol for Vetting AI Vendors

Your software vendors are either an asset or a liability. There is no middle.

Integrating AI isn't just about efficiency; it's about access. When you deploy third-party AI, you grant outside code access to your proprietary data. If that code is weak, your reputation is the collateral.

I am Zach Rattner, CTO and Co-Founder of Yembo. Our AI platform is deployed in 20+ countries, enabling businesses to scale to 3x their daily volume. I hold 30 granted US patents.

I do not deal in theory. I build secure, scalable technology for the most regulated industries on earth.

Engineering Trust, Not Marketing Claims

Global insurance carriers and government agencies do not accept "we're secure" as an answer. They demand proof. We engineered Yembo's codebase from day one to exceed the world's strictest compliance standards:

I know the grit required to build a fortress around sensitive data while running a high-growth company. Protecting your business does not require a computer science degree. It requires a founder's perspective on risk.

The Non-Technical Litmus Test

Not knowing exactly where your data goes once it hits a vendor's server creates "Black Box" anxiety. This uncertainty constantly stalls enterprise AI adoption.

I created the 60-Minute Security Audit™ as a practical framework for executives. The premise is simple: if a software vendor has strong security practices built-in, their team should be able to complete this audit in less than one hour. It filters out high-risk vendors immediately, ensuring your AI strategy is a driver of ROI, not a liability.

Question 01

Do you hold a current SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001:2022 certification? If so, is there a dashboard we can use to follow real-time compliance throughout the year?

These certifications prove an independent auditor has verified the vendor's security controls over time, not just in a one-off check. Best-in-class companies provide a real-time trust center that provides access to a real-time attestation of conformance to controls.

🚩 Red Flag: "We follow SOC 2 principles" (but have no report) or relying solely on their cloud provider's (e.g., AWS) security. The ISO 27001 standard was refreshed in 2022. In 2026, there are risks if a company is still adhering to the older 2013 standard.

Question 02

Do you carry dedicated Cyber Liability Insurance?

General business liability insurance often excludes cyber incidents. If a vendor causes a breach, you need to know they have a specific policy to cover forensic investigations and lawsuits rather than going bankrupt and leaving you with the bill.

🚩 Red Flag: "Our general liability policy covers it" or coverage limits under $1M.

Question 03

Is customer PII (Personally Identifiable Information) and video data encrypted at rest and in transit?

Without this, your customer's names, addresses, and video inventories are readable by anyone who gains access to the hard drive or intercepts the Wi-Fi connection.

🚩 Red Flag: They mention "encryption" generally but can't name the specific algorithms (e.g., AES-256, TLS 1.3).

Question 04

Is your platform protected by a firewall?

Without a properly configured firewall, your platform is essentially sitting on the open street with the front door wide open to automated "bot" attacks and hackers.

🚩 Red Flag: No regular testing schedule for firewall configurations.

Question 05

Do you enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)?

Passwords are easily stolen or bought on the dark web. If a vendor's support staff can access your data without MFA, your data is one "phishing" email away from being exposed.

🚩 Red Flag: "We encourage it but don't enforce it" or "Only for admins."

Question 06

Can you provide your most recent penetration test summary report?

Penetration testing is like a fire drill for your digital security. It involves hiring ethical hackers to intentionally try to break into the system to find weaknesses before real criminals do. A report from 2023 or older is useless in 2026.

🚩 Red Flag: The vendor has no report, refuses to share a summary report, or the report is more than 12 months old. Another red flag is if the report shows "Critical" or "High" vulnerabilities that remain unresolved months after the test.

Question 07

Do you maintain a formal process such as a Vulnerability Disclosure or Bug Bounty Program for external vulnerability reporting?

Even the best internal security teams can miss vulnerabilities. Ethical hackers often discover these blind spots in the wild. Without a dedicated reporting channel, critical warnings get lost in general support queues or well-meaning researchers face legal threats. A Vulnerability Disclosure or Bug Bounty Program ensures these external findings are safely reported and patched before attackers can exploit them.

🚩 Red Flag: Directing reports to a general support email, claiming internal testing catches everything, or lacking a safe harbor policy to protect well-intentioned researchers.

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